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View the uniform reveal video (by Hayet Gessese):CLICK HERE to view on Azusa Pacific Cougars’ YouTube channel, or view at end of story below

AZUSA, Calif. -- After adding a “stealth black” helmet to its football game day uniforms for road games last year, Azusa Pacific has unveiled another new helmet, along with several other changes that now give the Cougars 18 possible Nike uniform combinations on game days.

The changes, which will include a brand-new white helmet, a modification to the traditional red helmet, and two new pant designs, represent the most significant changes to the Cougars’ visual identity on football game days since Azusa Pacific officially changed its primary school colors of orange and black to brick and black in the fall of 1998.

“I’m fired up about the new looks – it makes me wish I was 20 years younger and had the opportunity to play again,” said Cougar football head coach Victor Santa Cruz, who played collegiately for University of Hawai‘i. “Football’s regular season only offers you a certain amount of opportunities to put on the Azusa Pacific uniform that represents the greatness of our school. Whether we’re on the road or at home, we’re representing the spirit of excellence of Azusa Pacific University, and we want to look the part.”

That season, the started wearing one of college football’s most unique helmets, with a brick red base color that featured the university’s one-of-a-kind “slash” logo, which was originally designed in 1998 to represent the claw marks of Azusa Pacific’s mascot, the cougar. The red helmet will remain in use, although the paint style will change from the glossy red used previously to a metallic red base to go with the all-black facemask. The third helmet features a glossy white base adorned with the Cougar “slash” logo to go with a gray facemask.

Along with the new headgear options, Azusa Pacific has also expanded its selection of apparel, adding white Nike pants to the wardrobe to go with two different versions of black Nike pants. The white and black game jerseys will feature players’ last names above the numerals for another new touch to the previously-unnamed jerseys. Another personalized touch is player number decals located on the back of the helmet.

“By implementing new designs into our traditional look, the uniforms serve as another example of how we try to provide our athletes with a first-class experience at Azusa Pacific,” Santa Cruz said. “We demand a first-class effort from our players, and that expectation of our student-athletes makes it our responsibility as a football program to provide them with a first-class college football experience. The uniforms serve as another practical complement to the mentorship and transformational coaching models we provide.”

With three different helmets, three different pant styles, along with home black and road white jerseys, Azusa Pacific will have a total of 18 potential combinations to choose from when it opens the 2013 football schedule at 7 p.m. (EDT) on Saturday, Sept. 7, at Grand Valley State.